Allo, everyone!

I've been a GM for many years, mostly in d&d. I have GM'ed other systems as well, but most of my experience is in D20 system or very rules light systems focusing on roleplay such as whitewolf. I am looking for something different and feel myself being drawn to this beautifully built setting or at least what it has to offer my games. Let me explain in full, if I may. I apologise if it's a lot to read, I just wish to be thorough.

Where I am

I have been running a fantasy horror campaign with pathfinder for quite a while with breaks here and there. It is set in a dark and gritty world I have created and made my players very familiar with. Gods are distant and darkness is forever looming over the world with occasional reprieve to admire the fantastic beauty. It is in a fourth crusade against demon worshipping orcs that have suddenly crawled out of a country sized and impossibly deep canyon, called The Great Rift that came about hundreds of years ago, and amassed in hoards to take over the lands of surface dwellers. That's the short of it anyways.

Where I'm going

Obviously, Pathfinder makes it hard to narrate horror because the leveling system makes character become eventual godslayers. I have made it work for the most part, but I have always intended for a campaign after this one is over. The idea is, when this is over, to start a new campaign in a pre-industrial age of the same world that will have shaped from the events of the previous campaign. This would be a nice time for me to change to a system that will allow me to better allow me to play this setting. I think Warhammer may have that option.

My problem

I admittedly was drawn to find this game from Vermintide because I thought, "That is the level of technology and atmosphere I'm looking for!" I have downloaded one of the core Warhammer Fantasy RPG books (specifically 3rd edition) and found it confusing. I read a lot of it and still feel lost. I have looked at Dark Heresy 2e (omg what a beautiful looking game) several times over the past year or so and expected some of the dice and skill rule differences, but this one seems even more complex and also revolves around several different card decks and such. I admit I need to read it more carefully and getting the box with all of the gear would probably clear up a lot as well, but that is a lot to dedicate to a game I don't know about yet.

What I'm asking you

Can you help explain Warhammer Fantasy to me, coming from my D20 understanding?

Do you think this game will help me achieve the setting I'm looking for?

Arethere better editions I should be looking at?

Is there a Dark Heresy (2nd E) style edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay?

Thank you all for any help you can give me! <3

-Maggie

Hey Maggie.

There's a lot to unpack with that request, but we'll see what we can help you with.

First of all, WFRP3 relies on specific sets of dice, much like a lot of FFG's other RPG systems that they have released recently. The other real issue from your point of view would be that it alos heavily relies on actions, talents and other information being on cards. Which means that it is quite difficult to replicate the information now. (But not impossible, I would look into the Fantasy grounds or Maptools varients available)

The best way to describe the system is as two-axis success system. (Where most games, especially d20 based, are single axis) Your dice roll will result in a series of successes and failures on the one side and boons and banes on the other. Thus a dice roll may have a number of success but also a numbr of banes, this means there may be a great variety of results, beyond just the usual success/failure curve.

The two other questions you have can be answered at once.

The earlier versions of WFRP, 1st and 2nd edition, both use a d100 system and a pretty dark.

I like 3rd ed as a system. As such, I get a bit antsy when people talk smack about it, but I think what you are looking for is more 1st and 2nd ed WFRP.